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Abu Dhabi's Must Visit: Emirates Palace & Hakkasan

14:45

Here we are at yet another amazingly luxurious tourist destination, the world's most expensive
hotel and the only 7-star hotel built in the world... the Emirates Palace. This hotel showcases every side of the generous and pompous nature of the Arabian culture, with traditional decor is used inside mostly in silver, gold, marble and glass mosaics! It is a must-visit for every tourist to Abu Dhabi, and together with the swarms of tourists, we toured the outskirts of the hotel and could not resist snapping shots of the Etihad Towers right opposite - where Fast & Furious 7 was shot!

At every turn of the corner, it is not difficult to believe this is more of a palace than a hotel.

The fountains and palm trees make for a picturesque scene. In the heart of Emirates Palace lies an award-winning Cantonese restaurant that matches the prestige of the location... Hakkasan. With 12 restaurants under this name across global destinations, Hakkasan has an impressive repertoire of classic and inventive dishes whipped up by their talented team of chefs.

The sunlight pours all around us, but we remain carefully sheltered. Taking on wooden hues underlined with bright cyan blue elements in its al fresco dining area, Hakkasan feels extremely welcoming to all its visitors. It looked like a set straight out from a Home & Living magazine, except that we are going to dine on its spanking clean white marbled tables.

Taking it all in..

I love the amount of details that go into every part of this place, even their plates are not generic white Ikea-like porcelain ones, but painted with a flair of contemporary art.

And admiring this view behind these palace walls (how many times am I allowed to say this) while enjoying Afternoon Tea, available from 3pm until 6pm daily with a selection of dim sum and dessert with a choice of Taiwanese or Chinese tea at 98 dirhams per person.

Trying Chinese food in the international land of Abu Dhabi might seem strange for someone with Chinese roots, but the quality is superb and the dim sum selection is delicious. The roast duck skin crackles upon biting, and even the stir-fried french beans are especially fragrant. It could be due to the wonderful ambience that made everything especially enjoyable.

I fell in love with the desserts immediately when I caught sight of it, I mean, it's soooo pretty! Who could resist? The dessert menu changes from time to time, but I am sure you will adore all their desserts no matter what their creations are. I was instantly enthralled, and when I tried it, I was sold. The raspberry souffle is the best souffle I have ever eaten in my life, even till to date. It was so warm, soft and fluffy, it is almost as if it is cotton candy. Neither is it too sweet. Pairing it with vanilla raspberry ice-cream is a dream. And then there is the Jivara Hazelnut Bomb drizzled with hot chocolate sauce with a party of popping candy in the ring of crushed biscuits in the plated presentation.

There was even an exhibition within the Palace about Russian history and art depicted through the wars which we took a quick tour of. Emirates Palace is definitely one of the highlights and most prominent buildings in Abu Dhabi, making it a must-visit in the city.